Friedrich Kraus

"In July 1944, we went on a bicycle trip from Mariánky to Šumava in eight people. I was in Jungvolk at that time, that was at a time when very young and very old people were already accepted to join the war. We had a gun, a small-bore rifle and we took care of the food ourselves. We shot a hen, we picked cherries. We begged farmers for eggs, they were nice, very generous people, mostly Czechs. Anyway, one of us always had to carry the gun. Once we took a break again to get food. During this break, the gun was handed to one of my very good friends - and suddenly a shot! The trigger caught on the wheel, so it shot. A friend fell to the ground, but he was fully conscious. We looked at him and we saw mixed cherries flowing from his stomach, but it took a long time for our leader to let us go to get the doctor. It was very difficult to get some at all back then, we were in the middle of the prairie. By the time the help came, the boy died. We could not help him anymore. I can hardly describe what it was like for us - in short, terrible. Then at night we wanted to pitch a tent, but a very strong downpour came. So, we just hid under the canvas and walked home. It was the scariest bike trip I have ever experienced, both mentally and physically. He was a really good friend of mine, so it affected me a lot. The young man was subsequently buried in Tři Sekery. When I stopped there later, the cemetery was very ruined. I couldn't understand why at least the dead couldn't be left alone. This is a thing that has hit me hard. I still have nightmares about it. Sometimes I wake up at night completely covered in sweat. It keeps coming back to me."

"In later years, I noticed more and more trains that transported some prisoners in uniforms and hats. They were supervised by their people. They had some advantages or something out of it. We saw terrible things, and I said to myself, "God, what system do we live in, where our own people hurt others?"

"On May 15, 1993, an exhibition of the Klingenthal district took place on the square in Cheb. We built stalls with musical instruments, the Klingenthal city band won. I had a soft spot in my heart for it, I was very involved. I was probably the first German after a very long time who could say hello to the square in Cheb. I thought: That's probably not even possible I went to school here, it buried me here, I worked here at the airport for years. And now the little Kraus is standing here and giving a speech in the square. A great experience "I will never forget it. Such a small substitute for what I experienced during and after the war."